Veterinary Medicine and Science BVMSci (Hons)

Program Overview

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Facilities

You’ll benefit from hands-on learning in our two multi-million pound

Veterinary Clinical Skills Centres

. The Centres are fitted with latest teaching equipment, including electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors and simulators, that you’ll use to practise procedures and skills such as anaesthesia, intravenous and urinary catheterisation, life support and resuscitation, suture placement, venepuncture and more.

You’ll also have practical classes at our

Veterinary Pathology Centre

, home to our microscopy suites, pathology laboratories, post-mortem examination room and viewing gallery. Here you’ll learn about the comparative anatomy of different species by watching dissections as they take place, with the opportunity to conduct your own too. You’ll perform a necropsy and you’ll examine gross and microscopic pathological specimens, to identify common pathological findings.

Your time in our facilities will allow you to practise your communication and clinical skills, essential in a veterinary career and valued by a wide range of employers.

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Teaching staff

You’ll be taught by

lecturers

and academics who are registered veterinary practitioners and researchers. Our teaching staff includes internationally registered veterinary specialists.

You’ll also be taught by a multidisciplinary team of veterinary professionals and specialists from our partner practices and organisations.

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Skill development

Throughout your studies, you’ll receive training in the core sciences, and you’ll develop your professional and business skills. These skills include:

Acting on feedback

Assessing evidence from the literature

Communication

Ethics

Lifelong learning

Professionalism

Self-care and stress management

Working in teams.

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Professional recognition

BVMSci (Hons) - Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)

Accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) for the purpose of eligibility for registration as a veterinary surgeon with that body.

BVMSci (Hons) - Australian Veterinary Boards Council Inc. (AVBC)

On successful completion of this course, you’re recognised for automatic registration by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC)

BVMSci (Hons) - South African Veterinary Council (SAVC)

On successful completion of this course, you’re recognised for automatic registration by the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC)

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Careers and graduate prospects

We offer

careers information, advice and guidance

to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.

This course is accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), which means that on successful completion of your studies, you'll have the academic requirements needed to register to work as a veterinary surgeon. Once registered, you can practise throughout the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Once you’ve graduated, you can also apply to practise outside of the UK and you’ll be recognised for automatic registration by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) and the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC). We’re currently working towards accreditation by the European Association of Establishments of Veterinary Education (EAEVE).

96% of our veterinary medicine and science graduates go on to employment or further study.* Typical roles include:

Veterinary clinical practice

Pathology

Conservation medicine

Research science

The pharmaceutical industry

Food safety

Veterinary public health and policy.

Some students also use this course to apply for further study, including postgraduate research.

*Graduate Outcomes survey 2022, HESA

Graduate

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Nicole D’Mello

Veterinary Medicine and Science BVMSci (Hons)

I'm now a small animal vet and it feels great to finally be independent and in charge of my own cases. I love my job, the practice and the people I work with!

Program Outline

Academic year structure

The academic year is divided into two semesters of 15 weeks each. Each semester consists of a period of teaching, revision/directed learning and assessment.

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Modules

Modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that modules may be subject to teaching availability, student demand and/or class size caps.

The University operates a credit framework for all taught programmes based on a 15-credit tariff. Modules usually can be either 15, 30, 45 or 60, 75 and 120 credits, and additionally for some masters dissertations, 90 credits.

The structure of our programmes follow clear educational aims that are tailored to each programme. These are all outlined in the

programme specifications

which include further details such as the learning outcomes.

Veterinary Medicine and Science BVMSci (Hons)

Please note:

The

full module listing for the optional Professional Training placement part of your course can be viewed on the relevant programme specification.

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Year 1

Module title	Status	Semester
ANIMALS IN SOCIETY 1	Compulsory	1
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 1: CELLS AND GENES IN CONTEXT	Compulsory	1
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 2: INTEGUMENT AND ALIMENTARY SYSTEMS	Compulsory	1
THE VETERINARY PROFESSIONAL	Compulsory	1
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 3: CARDIOVASCULAR, RESPIRATORY AND MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEMS	Compulsory	2
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 4: HAEMOPOIETIC AND NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEMS	Compulsory	2
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 5: UROLOGICAL AND REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS	Compulsory	2
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 6: ORGANS OF SPECIAL SENSES AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS	Compulsory	2

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Year 2

Module title	Status	Semester
ANIMALS IN SOCIETY II: CONCEPTS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH	Compulsory	1
FOUNDATIONS OF DISEASE FIVE - PATHOLOGY OF THE HAEMOPOIETIC AND LYMPHOID SYSTEMS AND CLINICAL PATHOLOGY OF BODY SYSTEMS	Compulsory	1
FOUNDATIONS OF DISEASE THREE - PATHOLOGY OF THE INTEGUMENT AND ALIMENTARY SYSTEMS	Compulsory	1
GENERAL PATHOLOGY AND CONCEPTS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE	Compulsory	1
ANIMALS IN SOCIETY 3	Compulsory	2
FOUNDATIONS OF DISEASE FOUR - PATHOLOGY OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR, RESPIRATORY AND MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEMS	Compulsory	2
FOUNDATIONS OF DISEASE SEVEN - PATHOLOGY OF THE ENDOCRINE AND NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND ORGANS OF SPECIAL SENSE	Compulsory	2
FOUNDATIONS OF DISEASE SIX - PATHOLOGY OF THE UROLOGICAL AND REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS	Compulsory	2

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Year 3

Module title	Status	Semester
VETERINARY MEDICINE 1	Compulsory	1
VETERINARY RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE-BASED VETERINARY MEDICINE	Compulsory	1
VETERINARY MEDICINE 2	Compulsory	2
VETERINARY RESEARCH PROJECT	Compulsory	2

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Year 4

Module title	Status	Semester
ZOOLOGICAL MEDICINE	Compulsory	1
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN VETERINARY MEDICINE - EMERGING DISEASES, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY	Compulsory	2
FUNDAMENTALS OF VETERINARY PRACTICE III : ANAESTHESIA, SURGERY AND PATIENT CARE	Compulsory	Year-long
VETERINARY MEDICINE 3	Core	Year-long

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Year 5

Module title	Status	Semester
INTRAMURAL ROTATIONS	Core	Year-long

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Timetables

Course timetables are normally available one month before the start of the semester. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week (Monday – Friday). Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities. View our

Code of practice for the scheduling of teaching and assessment (PDF)

.

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Teaching

Your teaching will be delivered through a combination of:

Group work (e.g. problem-based learning)

Laboratory-based practicals (e.g. anatomy dissection)

Lectures including flipped classroom teaching

Online learning using captured content

Placements

Practical animal handling

Role plays and immersive simulations

Tutorials/seminars

Case based learning

Grand rounds

Tutorials.

Outside of these, you’ll be expected to carry out independent study, including coursework, essays and reading.

There may be occasions when the delivery of your teaching is supported by graduate teaching assistants. The University has a

set of procedures

that govern the use of postgraduate research students in this way.

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Assessment

We use a variety of methods to assess you, including:

Coursework

Oral assessment

Essays

Written examinations

Presentations

In-semester tests

Portfolio

Practical assessment (including: Steeplechase, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Entrustable Professional Activities).

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Exit awards

Throughout your five-year studies, you’ll accumulate 600 credits through a range of modules. If you choose to exit the course before the end of the five years, you can still be awarded a qualification, dependent on how many credits you’ve earned:

120 credits - Certificate of Higher Education

240 credits - Diploma of Higher Education

300 credits - Bachelors Degree (Ordinary)

360 credits - Bachelors Degree (Honours).

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Contact hours

Contact hours can vary across our modules. Full details of the contact hours for each module are available from the University of Surrey's

module catalogue

. See the

modules section

for more information.